melbournelad
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Hello All
Long time reader of the forum and now have cause to add my bit, seek some advice and use this as a think pad of sorts.
I don’t know the terms you use here save to say I was pretty much bald all over at 22. I had a transplant through the hairline and frontal section which all grew reasonably well. I am 26 now.
My story is a bit of a different one as I have had a transplant and am now looking to a ‘system’. My reasoning herewith:
Hairline
The hairline looks very thin. It’s certainly there and realistically four fingers above my eyebrows but in most lights you don’t really see it. Combined with Toppik really makes it stick out worse since the mid of my hair looks thick and then the hairline where you just can’t use anything like topic looks considerably thinner. Looking from the sides you can pretty much see right through it.
Concealers
I’ve tried Couvre and Toppik. Couvre was pretty much in the bin after a week. I’ve used Toppik for a bout a year or so. It does a reasonable job but I stopped taking the Finasteride and all my regrown hair (non-transplanted) fell out. There’s really not that much hair for using Toppik and I find myself using too much to make my crown look decent (or worse as the case maybe).
A lot of my shirt collars need soaking or scrubbing to get residue Toppik and pillows are the same if I decide to leave it in my hair overnight or whatever which I will do since the appearance of Toppik after washing my hair can sometimes look like saw-dust. Fact is too when light is on the hair (most of realtime life) you can either see the toppik on the hair or straight through.
Also having to use so much hairspray to keep a ‘look’ can make it look unattractive and otherwise give you some serious rock hard hair. Not particularly attractive but can be necessary to keep hair in place that is really doing too much with too little. It’s been many years since I’ve had hair that actually moves.
I really do feel like the transplanted hair is just a carrier for Toppik sometimes.
Hairdressers
I pretty much spent two years without a hairdresser competent enough to work with the hair. It’s an odd combination of cutting it to style and for use with stuff like Toppik. I finally did find one but I pay for a senior stylist at about $60 AU dollars for the peace of mind and where my hair does grow it grows very quickly.
Finasteride
Stopped taking the ¼ pill after three or so years. I haven’t really looked into the sideffects as yet so I can’t comment. The main one for me is deformities and kids. Looking to kids I just prefer to be away from this sort of thing completely. When I stopped the regrowth associated with the finasteride fell out very quickly.
Overall look
It’s always looked reasonably good. Used to be in the military so the short look worked well. Now I’m out it would be nice to have longer hair. It’s not really possible considering the loss outside the transplant area. Further to that the hair itself isn’t really conducive to anything other than a short and pushed over or forward look. You can’t really push it up as the hairline and back is too thin. Also I’ve been tending to get the hair cut a little longer to help out with some coverage so again if you want it up you can’t because it’s too long versus the actual density on the scalp, so again you can see right through the hair. As far as the overall style, I don’t mean to offend anyone who considers themselves ‘old’ but I looked old at 22 and now I’m 26 with an older dudes hairstyle. ☺
Disruption to lifestyle
You can’t really do much with Toppik in your hair. It’s not like you can swim or anything. Id like to be able to surf again after so many years without thinking everything is going to go off with the tide. Even playing sport can be a bit of a worry at times especially when your hairspray starts to lose its way. Even sex can be a bit odd for me. I hear questions put to people about hair pieces/systems and sex but consider hair with Toppik applied and I think the possibilities are far far worse and more likely.
All things considered I am now looking to a system. I want a style I can work with, mix up and really look and feel my age. Only really started looking into it but am very keen on purchasing overseas (like from Toplace) and doing it myself. I’m concerned I won’t be able to find anywhere here in Melbourne to get it cut in etc. not to mention I’m worried I’d glue it on skewed but if other men are doing it and doing it well themselves I’m sure I’ll get it in the end too.
1. Also I think I read on here someone has created a do-it-yourself DVD. Does anyone who’s that is and how I can purchase?
2. I’m also thinking that the hair I do have would continue to grow underneath the piece so at what point does too much under the hair perhaps become an issue? And how often do you get your hair cut? And does the system have to come off, get your hair cut then placed back on?
3. I’ve seen some figures on here of total costs per annum but what does that equate to in actual hair systems? And how long do they last before you say it needs to be thrown in the trash?
4. Does anyone here actually swim a fair bit and how does it fair for you?
Thanks everyone!
Long time reader of the forum and now have cause to add my bit, seek some advice and use this as a think pad of sorts.
I don’t know the terms you use here save to say I was pretty much bald all over at 22. I had a transplant through the hairline and frontal section which all grew reasonably well. I am 26 now.
My story is a bit of a different one as I have had a transplant and am now looking to a ‘system’. My reasoning herewith:
Hairline
The hairline looks very thin. It’s certainly there and realistically four fingers above my eyebrows but in most lights you don’t really see it. Combined with Toppik really makes it stick out worse since the mid of my hair looks thick and then the hairline where you just can’t use anything like topic looks considerably thinner. Looking from the sides you can pretty much see right through it.
Concealers
I’ve tried Couvre and Toppik. Couvre was pretty much in the bin after a week. I’ve used Toppik for a bout a year or so. It does a reasonable job but I stopped taking the Finasteride and all my regrown hair (non-transplanted) fell out. There’s really not that much hair for using Toppik and I find myself using too much to make my crown look decent (or worse as the case maybe).
A lot of my shirt collars need soaking or scrubbing to get residue Toppik and pillows are the same if I decide to leave it in my hair overnight or whatever which I will do since the appearance of Toppik after washing my hair can sometimes look like saw-dust. Fact is too when light is on the hair (most of realtime life) you can either see the toppik on the hair or straight through.
Also having to use so much hairspray to keep a ‘look’ can make it look unattractive and otherwise give you some serious rock hard hair. Not particularly attractive but can be necessary to keep hair in place that is really doing too much with too little. It’s been many years since I’ve had hair that actually moves.
I really do feel like the transplanted hair is just a carrier for Toppik sometimes.
Hairdressers
I pretty much spent two years without a hairdresser competent enough to work with the hair. It’s an odd combination of cutting it to style and for use with stuff like Toppik. I finally did find one but I pay for a senior stylist at about $60 AU dollars for the peace of mind and where my hair does grow it grows very quickly.
Finasteride
Stopped taking the ¼ pill after three or so years. I haven’t really looked into the sideffects as yet so I can’t comment. The main one for me is deformities and kids. Looking to kids I just prefer to be away from this sort of thing completely. When I stopped the regrowth associated with the finasteride fell out very quickly.
Overall look
It’s always looked reasonably good. Used to be in the military so the short look worked well. Now I’m out it would be nice to have longer hair. It’s not really possible considering the loss outside the transplant area. Further to that the hair itself isn’t really conducive to anything other than a short and pushed over or forward look. You can’t really push it up as the hairline and back is too thin. Also I’ve been tending to get the hair cut a little longer to help out with some coverage so again if you want it up you can’t because it’s too long versus the actual density on the scalp, so again you can see right through the hair. As far as the overall style, I don’t mean to offend anyone who considers themselves ‘old’ but I looked old at 22 and now I’m 26 with an older dudes hairstyle. ☺
Disruption to lifestyle
You can’t really do much with Toppik in your hair. It’s not like you can swim or anything. Id like to be able to surf again after so many years without thinking everything is going to go off with the tide. Even playing sport can be a bit of a worry at times especially when your hairspray starts to lose its way. Even sex can be a bit odd for me. I hear questions put to people about hair pieces/systems and sex but consider hair with Toppik applied and I think the possibilities are far far worse and more likely.
All things considered I am now looking to a system. I want a style I can work with, mix up and really look and feel my age. Only really started looking into it but am very keen on purchasing overseas (like from Toplace) and doing it myself. I’m concerned I won’t be able to find anywhere here in Melbourne to get it cut in etc. not to mention I’m worried I’d glue it on skewed but if other men are doing it and doing it well themselves I’m sure I’ll get it in the end too.
1. Also I think I read on here someone has created a do-it-yourself DVD. Does anyone who’s that is and how I can purchase?
2. I’m also thinking that the hair I do have would continue to grow underneath the piece so at what point does too much under the hair perhaps become an issue? And how often do you get your hair cut? And does the system have to come off, get your hair cut then placed back on?
3. I’ve seen some figures on here of total costs per annum but what does that equate to in actual hair systems? And how long do they last before you say it needs to be thrown in the trash?
4. Does anyone here actually swim a fair bit and how does it fair for you?
Thanks everyone!
